Thursday, June 19, 2025

A case for Tobias Wolff

 Julian Girdham of The Fortnightly reports that the critic John Self has argued to British readers that Tobias Wolff is the greatest living American writer.

It’s not my argument, but it reminded me that I’ve been stopped cold in astonishment by things Wolff has written.

Take, for example, “Coming Attractions,” a story about a teenaged girl who is apparently shallow and definitely manipulative. She’s not a likeable heroine. But then, when it comes to getting something her little brother values, she does something that lets you see a young woman emerging — a young woman who is strong and who will not be stopped by anything, including her own fear.

It’s as astonishing as seeing a butterfly emerge from a cocoon.

If you are a noter of birthdays, Wolff is 80 today.

• Source: Tobias Wolff, Back in the World; New York: Vintage Books, 1996, pp. 1-16.

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